Each night our souls whirled around on the tips of the dark green water peering over the shoulders of the waves

Waiting for their special someone to return,

And for me, it was you.

You.

You came.

All thirteen years of you standing there with your parents.

When I heard your voice read out my name aloud

I cried into the water

And soon we were all floating on the tearful waves

listening to your sweet shrill Indian accent

Reading aloud each and every one of our names

You didn’t forget

You returned

And while the other shadows have drifted to sleep I shall float along

these deep green waves waiting

For you to return with your wife and children.

—-Lest We Forget——-

While exploring the Jewish quarter of Amsterdam on a family vacation my son felt compelled to walk down the quiet road by the canal in Nieuwe Keizersgracht. He ran up to the plaques on the banks of the canal and called out to us to see and hear him say out the names out loud individually while he folded his hands in prayer. We discovered we were at the Schaduwwade memorial listing names on the plaques opposite their homes of more than 200 Jewish residents of Nieuwe Keizersgracht who were killed during WW2 . And thank God for sending us a reminder to never forget.

When I received this delightful picture of what my friend Moon sees outside her window, I looked around me.

My eye caught so many beautiful paintings and crystals on the shelves and on the walls. But it rested on a faded picture of my parents singing together for the first time in front of the mike. They look so gorgeous and happy! Dad’s grinning shyly behind the mike while Mom is beaming at the audience – a group of her club mates.

Truly, instant joy forever.

For the whole poem by John Keats, check out http://www.online-literature.com/donne/463/